


Blueberry

by I_dlovetobeknowunknown



Category: Naruto
Genre: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto)-centric, Gen, Marriage of Convenience, Mythology - Freeform, Self Insert, Slow Burn, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2020-12-31 17:01:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21149135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_dlovetobeknowunknown/pseuds/I_dlovetobeknowunknown
Summary: Matsuyo is running out of time and fast. She needs a temporary solution to tack on as a band-aid before she ends updeadand -ah, as luck would have it, there seems to be a very conveniently placed Uchiha around...~"Marry me," she extends a hand towards Sasuke.Dead silence hits the training ground, Naruto's incredulous stare burns the back of her head and even Kakashi has stopped turning the pages of his book.Matsuyo doesn't falter. "Right now, I'm standing at the edge of a cliff. You need Kakashi as your teacher, I need the power that your name holds. So marry me Sasuke and in return, I'll forfeit my claim to one of those bells and return you to your rightful place: as clan head of the Uchiha Clan."





	Blueberry

The warmth of the sun covers her as sunlight peers through the open windows. There‘s a slight breeze - cool upon the skin, that ruffles stray strands of her hair before it’s gone. She sighs and lets her head hit her desk.

Konoha at this time of year is peaceful. It’s bright and blistering warm and nearly all of the academy students have abandoned their stuffy classrooms to play outside, rowdy yells of childish excitement echoing as they try to outpace each other.

Matsuyo’s chosen the cool shade of the classroom to the sweltering heat of the academy grounds - choosing to forego being miserable and churlish as she undoubtedly would have been, sweating outside.

She grimaces at the thought before reaching out to trace the glossy edges of the book next to her. She’s not perhaps, as academically inclined as Sakura (who holds the title of top kunoichi through her formidable brain power alone) but mother had always said that she could do anything she put her mind to.

So she tries her hand at this. It’s dry and somewhat unbelievably boring but it’s the one thing she knows she can excel at if she tries. Her chakra-control is so-so and taijutsu is a pain (even if going through the forms has become routine by now), genjutsu is… meh and running is unexpectedly, somewhat freeing, so she’s alright there too.

The one thing she can do well is memorising. Remembering facts for detail to detail is her one skillset. It’s not like she’s competing with Sakura for the title of top kunoichi per se. She just… wants to know how far she’d get if she applied herself.

There are two months until the genin graduation exams. Matsuyo can feel it insidiously lurking right around the corner but no matter how much she knows, that if she doesn’t shape up soon, she’ll bump face-first into disaster, she’s _ still _not able to apply herself to the fullest of her potential.

No matter what kinds of amazing things chakra can spark, learning the pathways and the tenketsu points isn’t really exciting. In fact, it’s mind-numbingly boring. She’s gone over these facts at least a hundred times but without applying herself… well, only most of it is remembered.

It’s frustrating because it’s all there, in the back of her mind - locked behind a wall she can’t seem to access. Matsuyo sits up with a scowl, slamming the book shut. Well, looks like it's time to get some dire incentive.

She nods to the only other occupant in the room as she gets ready to leave and cool, black eyes survey her as he returns the cordial nod. Matsuyo sweeps out of the room, a thousand different things already brewing on her mind.

* * *

Matsuyo tugs at her collar, hating the way her hair sticks to her forehead due to sweat literally oozing out of her body. She doesn’t dare touch her face, the last thing she needs is an acne assault due to careless fingers on skin.

Longingly, she thinks of the monsoon season. With the way things are going, it won’t be long before it’s due but the wait is agonisingly slow. 

Pre-genin in training are technically civilians so it’ll be hard to convince any older ninja to teach her. Luckily, she knows just which sucker to bait.

Hurrying her stride, she walks towards the training grounds. This morning she had packed two green apples and chucked her revision cards in her bag. So now she's got plenty of material in case she needs to waste some time while waiting.

The slight breeze that comes once in a while is a welcome guest. The grass blades ruffle as it passes through. The track she walks through has training grounds on either side. The further in she goes, the more unkempt and damaged they get.

These training grounds are commonly used by Jounin, mostly in order to test new jutsu. So it's unusual to see a pre-genin striding through the place. Figures turn, pausing from their stretches or playful banter to stare at her as she passes by. Matsuyo keeps her head high and her gait languid as she walks past, returning some of the more curious gazes with a bored, sleepy look. 

Someone lets out a snort and slowly, the jounin start returning to their tasks; friendly chatter building up once again. Matsuyo walks past all of them, to the very end of the track and meets a field of endless, overgrown lush grass. Letting out a sigh, she places her bag on the ground and sits down on the very edge, enjoying the cool breeze for a moment - the way it playfully sweeps her hair and the fresh scent it carries. She breathes it in. Opening her eyes, Matsuyo digs through her bag and lifts out her notes. It's going to be a long wait, might as well do something useful while she's at it. 

* * *

There's someone occupying their usual training field. Neji stops Lee with a hand to his chest. "Stop," his byakugan activates. "There's someone there." 

Lee gives a good guy pose and Neji restrains a sigh. "We must fan the flames of youth together, then!" Lee says enthusiastically, brown eyes already twinkling in anticipation. 

Neji straightens. "There's no need - we only use it to cool down from our morning run anyway." He brushes past his teammate, already heading in the opposite direction. "We can just relocate for today." 

Behind him, Tenten exchanges a look with Lee before shrugging and smirking. She hauls her scroll over a shoulder and jerks her head in Neji's direction, allowing Lee to go forward as she follows. Unnoticed, a tiny hint of a smile curves Neji's lips as his team follows after him. 

* * *

Tenten peers around the foliage. "She's still here." This is the fourth day in a row. Lee bounces eagerly in place, taking Tenten's place to stare at their spot-stealer. 

He frowns. "She's not doing anything." 

She's been sitting there for hours at a time, every single day since the first day they've spotted her. "Looks like a Nara," Tenten comments, re-adjusting her bandages. 

"That's because she is," Neji replies, crossing his arms as he stares at the girl. "The Nara clan head's younger brother's daughter." 

"It is extremely un-youthful for Nara-san to claim the training field when she does not plan to use it!" Neji lets out a minor sigh and uncrosses his arms, turning to look at Lee. 

"We should claim it back then." He pushes apart the foliage and walks across the field to the girl sitting in the middle. Tenten eyes the girl curiously as she stares up at them, a blank expression on her face as Lee does the talking. 

Once Lee is done, the Nara shrugs. "I don't mind sharing," she stands up, brushing her knees clean of grass. She grabs her bag and cocks her head, pointing to the nearest tree as she shades her eyes with her other hand. "You don't mind if I sit up there while you train, do you?" 

Neji's mouth twists but Lee is faster. "Of course not!" His teeth gleam as he beams. "As comrades of Konoha, it is only natural that we share the intensity of our training together!" 

They start their stretches and though Tenten can't outright catch her in the act, Neji's little twitches give away the fact that the Nara is staring, even if she doesn't do it openly. The staring is less of a bother to Tenten and more of a one to Neji, who keeps his byakugan open and goes through each action tense and paranoid.

The paranoia does not turn out to be unfounded. 

The quiet conversation that starts at Lee's edge of the training field, right next to the perching girl, is easy to ignore. What's not as easily ignored is Lee's cheerful proclamation of: 

"Of course you may join us for morning practice, Nara-san! Gai-sensei would be most overjoyed to have a maiden such as yourself join us!" 

"What," Neji says flatly. 

"Neji, listen," Lee says eagerly. "Nara-san has a most youthful perseverance. She wishes to challenge herself with us, is it not our duty as her senpai's to help her fan her flames of youth?" 

"I'm in your care, Lee-senpai." Lee beams and the girl aims a shy smile at them but the light beneath her slightly lowered lids gleams of sly victory. 

Neji's jaw clenches but he does not explode, so whatever she may be, the Nara isn't dangerous to their team. So Tenten does not go on the offensive and instead, learns a fresh appreciation for the slyness of Nara's and the fact that most of them are too unmotivated for daily schemes, unlike the clearly defective one opposite her. 


End file.
